Karl & Liesl Kranich

From: Marilyn
Sent: Friday, May 21, 2010 11:50 AM
To: Chris, Karl, Jonathan
Subject: RE: Site is up….almost.

I LOVE WORKING WITH ALL OF YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
All the redirects seem to be working.
The Live Chat is working.
The AR signups all look good.
I am sooooooooooo impressed.
Geographic sites are working as they were. That’s fine.
I’ll get the descriptions to you soon. (I’ll work on them now.)
YOU GUYS ARE INCREDIBLE. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Marilyn
p.s. I don’t speak in superlatives often.

This was the email Karl and the guys received after helping upgrade one of the Christian growth websites,  www.startingwithgod.com.  This site is open for everyone and is a great tool for all of us if we are helping a new believer learn about their relationship with God.  We’d love to have you check it out.  Let us know what you think!

Besides the tech work Karl does, Keynote has had a couple of other major things happening this month.  First, the 2010 Keynote Golf Challenges have come and gone. 67 individuals raised sponsorship to play, caddie or volunteer for the two events and raised more than $118,000! We are so grateful to all those who contributed their time, effort, prayers and finances to make these days a success.

Secondly, Summer Project students will be showing up in a week! Already, most of our staff have switched hats from their regular jobs to prepare to organize and lead the summer bands, train and disciple the students, and send them out on tours across the country.  Last years’ summer project saw over 800 decisions for Christ, and that doesn’t even measure the personal growth the students experience as they step out in faith and see God use them.  Please pray for the 25 students showing up in June and for the people they will come into contact with on tour in July.

And since Friday was the last day of school, our family is transitioning to summer mode as well.  Pray that we would make good use of the time as a family (summer project time can be a great time to get our staff kids involved, but it also means I don’t  have kid free time to do ministry in the office.  It’s different, but good).  Thanks y’all, and we pray you have a wonderful summer ahead as well.

Each year Open Doors releases the World Watch List, a detailed analysis of Christian persecution worldwide. In this free resource, countries are evaluated and ranked according to the severity of persecution that occured in the past year.

Watch an introduction video below, and find out more at www.opendoorsusa.org.

We’ve asked you in the past to pray for our friend and fellow Campus Crusade for Christ staffer Chris, who has esophageal cancer that has spread to his lungs.? The following call for prayer was written by his wife a few days ago.? They have two small children.

We are in the stage of complete exhaustion and desperation. All we could ask is God’s mercy. Please plead God with us that He will bind the stronghold of cachexia (kakeksia) in his body. It is the body’s wasting away. Please pray that the supplements will work to melt all the cancer in his body.

It is our desire that if God will take Chris home, that He will bless his last days with a quality of life (even without the tube!). Right now, the pain is stealing his joy and hope. Pray for our children that beyond confusion,their hearts will be open to receive God’s love and goodness. Lastly pray for me, this is the hardest thing I ever faced in my life – for extraordinary strength, peace and to enjoy every moment with Chris. Above all, amidst all pain and suffering, pray that God ‘s glory will shine.

(Sorry that this got posted so late; Liesl wrote it on March 31.? -karl)

Happy Birthday to Karl!!! Today he turned 40 and so the fun has already begun (including the 40 balloons at his desk, thanks Mom). Thought you might like to see.

Now, back to our normally scheduled newsletter ? We love being a part of Keynote. Last week we heard one of our solo artists, Jimmy Fauntleroy, do his thing and it was great. If you want to check out his music (most of which he writes himself) go to www.littlelordmusic.com.

We have had some questions about what exactly our bands/musicians do.? Unlike some Christian artists, they do not play all Christian music.? The goal of our bands is to use good secular music to paint a picture throughout the concert of real heart needs.? They do this through the music and by telling their own stories in between songs in a way that makes sense to the audience.

The goal is that the audience would relate to the story. Then when they hear how God loves them and wants to give them a different future than the path they’re on now, just like He did with the band member telling his story, they will want a relationship with God, too.

This is also why we have such a wide variety of bands.? Each plays different music and so can reach a different group of people.? From rap to acoustic, we want to “be all things to all men so that by all possible means (we) might save some.” I Cor. 9:22.? Our bands excel in quality, but what matters the most is their hearts.? They share real stories about how God has changed their lives and they pray and trust God to do the work in peoples’ hearts.

We hope hearing this give you a better picture of the way our people minister so you can pray for them.? They face a lot of obstacles, from tiring travel to spiritual battle, both before and during concerts.? And thanks to God, people’s lives are changed because our artists are willing to go to them.? God bless you!